Tip o’ the Morning to Ya – The Anti-Depression Strategy

Melancholy – Depression, sadness. Tom’s melancholy at seeing his daughter leave for college evaporated the minute he began working on his new book.

Rich Habits Fact of the Day

Edgar Allen Poe suffered from depression, which made his writings tragically beautiful, and if you lived his life, you probably would have been depressed too. He was born in 1809 to a couple of actors. He was two when his father abandoned him. His mother, unable to take care of him, left him with John and Frances Allen. His mother died soon after that. The Allens gave him a good upbringing, but never legally adopted him, leaving him as something of an outcast. Edgar Allen Poe has become known as the master of moody and hair-raising works. His work has been mocked, critiqued, copied, and redone by many (not to mention turned into a spoof by The Simpsons television show. The complete works of Poe number well over 100 stories, biographies, poems, literary analysis, and criticisms. Poe made the most use of his short lifetime.

Edgar Allan Poe may not have had any recognition during his lifetime, but in the years and decades following his death, his writing has become a canvas for other writers to create upon. Poe was rejected by the literary circles of his time, which was a result of his reputation for being a crazy drunk without any talent. Today, his acceptance is more visible than ever. Law and Order, N.Y.P.D. Blue, and countless other television shows which involve a detective character would have never been created on the level which they exist today, had it not been for Poe’s character, C. Auguste Dupin, a detective in the short story, “The Murders in the Rue Morgue.” (Sullivan) This story has also been linked to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s unforgettable mysteries involving Sherlock Holmes. (Sullivan) Although his condition has a name today, Poe often referred to bipolar disorder through his themes using the “double self.” Later it was called a split personality and today it is referred to as bi polar disorder or schizophrenia.

Poe had a wild and vivid imagination and when he used it to his advantage, he created beyond what anyone could imagine. While he often took the opportunity to approach dark topics, he did it with such style that he has been accounted for creating the surrealist movement. It was clear that his writing style would inspire a new generation of writers but not until years after his death did his level of inspiration become visible.

Rich Habit Lesson of the Day

There are days when everyone gets depressed. Monday mornings are famous for triggering depression. An end to family get togethers during the holidays is my worst. Financial worries can trigger depression. Seeing your kids off to college is another bad one for many. You are definitely not alone when it comes to depression. We all experience these momentary bouts with depression or sadness. One of the strategies I uncovered in my five-year study of the daily habits of the wealthy is a strategy I call the “Anti-Depression Strategy”. This strategy involves taking on a project that involves some form of creativity. Depression seems to scatter whenever humans engage in creative activity. It’s in our genes to create. When we create we are at our most human state and when we are at our most human state, happiness pays a visit. Creativity creates happiness and happiness swats depression like a fly.

We all have some creative skills. It’s hardwired into our DNA. We are all creative beings. For me, it is writing. For others, it is painting or music or knitting or building. I actually have grown to envy builders because builders get to create for a living. When you are immersed in any creative pursuit, the right side of the brain takes over and suppresses that part of the brain where depression resides. It’s hard to start a creative project when you are in the midst of depression and that is why you should plan your creative project far in advance of the depression-triggering event. As you get older you get better at identifying when those events will likely occur. Setting a date for starting your creative project, far in advance of the depression-triggering event, will help build momentum inside your brain long before you begin your project.

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